Archive for April, 2017

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today I’m so excited to share that we finally got around to adding a backsplash in the kitchen!

When we built our home four years ago we had zero budget for upgrades in the kitchen. We were lucky that granite countertops and stainless steel appliances were standard. Because of the busyness of the granite we ended up choosing a basic white subway tile for a full backsplash. My main purpose was to reflect some light so I opted for a gloss finish which worked so well.

I am amazed at how the new backsplash makes the kitchen feel so much more finished. It makes the builder-grade cabinets look better and makes the space look larger and brighter!

Is your kitchens are always the dumping ground for everything? Junk mail, bills, groceries, toys, headphones? Don’t even get me started on sippy cups. Having to clear out my kitchen for the backsplash to be worked on made me realize it was time for a good old declutter session. Here are five things I did to bring order back to the kitchen:

Everything that isn’t used weekly has to go! Items that are used rarely like pie dishes and large platters need to be stored somewhere else like a basement or in a plastic bin in the garage.

Place every day items such as the toaster and blender inside cabinets or pantry. These should be placed right at the front of the cabinet for easy access.

Have one designated “junk drawer” that holds pens/phone charger/post it notes etc.

Use cake stands! I love using my cake stands all the time in my kitchen to make wiping counters down a breeze and to free up counter space. Visually it can break up things lining against the walls and cluttered.

Have a designated “incoming/outgoing” basket. I have a wire basket I keep right next to the back door…out of the kitchen. When mail comes in it gets dumped in there. It looks so bad it gives me more incentive to go through it every night instead of piling up in the kitchen next to the fridge.

Now my kitchen is decluttered I’ve found meal prep so much easier. I have more space to work with and wiping down after dinner so much quicker. I try and clean up the kitchen every single night so dishes don’t accumulate and things stay under control.

Good Morning! We hope you had a fantastic Easter weekend. Ours was truly lovely, with the girlies ever more getting into the holidays and festivities, it’s just adding to the fun. It’s so nice to spend special days with lots of family, but we always miss those who don’t live near.

Ah Good times!

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On to the nursery…

I’ve been really excited to get going on baby boy’s room for a while now, but with so much fantastic design inspiration out there (thank you Pinterest!) I had a hard time narrowing down what style I really wanted to go with.

As with the girls’ nursery, I knew I wanted to stay pretty neutral, (it brings out my much needed calm side), and to add a little blue since it’s been my favorite “real” color since childhood.

My thought was traditional elements with a modern feel. When talking it through with Em, she suggested I just get started and put a design board together…so here we are, and I’m pretty please with how it’s all looking.

We’re reusing one of the girls cribs which we LOVED, and decided to stay with the same dresser as the girls, just the smaller version. I like to have small elements of consistency throughout the house to keep things looking coherent.

The blue is calming and so ‘baby boy”, while little black accents like the cameras and nobs on dresser with add just a spark of contrast. I’m not in love with the mirror for the space, I’m hoping I can find one at Home Goods, but I love how wood always adds warm and the cozy natural elements, I’ll be doing some wooded frames or shelfs too. The lighting is all pretty modern. The shapes are bold and clean.

Do you guys have a hard time choosing between styles too?

I’m really at my core modern, but always love the warmth of traditional…or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way, I’m pretty pleased with how this is all flowing together so well, at least on paper! Now time to get ordering and seeing it in person.

To see Baby Ben’s Nursery from last year click HERE. My twin girls’ nursery HERE, and Lady Jane’s HERE.

With our fourth nursery in 4 years, I love how they are all so unique, so see!

One of our favorite meals lately has been fish and veggies.
High protein, low carb and calorie, and easy, easy, EASY!

We have been loving frozen individual packaged and portioned tilapia. We thaw the night before in the fridge and put them in the oven for 30 minutes with whatever veggies we have in the fridge. Sarah makes a tasty dilly dip that makes the fish and veggies extra tasty: 1/3 c mayo, 1/2 lemon, dash of dried dill.

Easy, healthy and delicious, it’s a winner and we hope you’ll give it a try.

Spring is here and it’s time to lighten up my all black winter wardrobe!

I’ve found a few great items I’ve been loving and so excited to share with you.

The newest trend I’ve been seeing is the bell sleeve. I found THIS tee and immediately fell in love with the it. The ruffles aren’t too crazy which is perfect for my every day running around with the kids. This tee is incredibly soft and know it will be my favorite all summer. I ordered a size up for an extra loose fit and ease for nursing.

THESE jeans are lightweight and extra stretchy. I don’t want to wear any other jeans now I have them because they are that comfortable! How did I manage without them?

My next favorite are THESE sandals from Target. They are super comfy and I love the simple style. I bought both cognac and black because I couldn’t decide which I liked better and they are buy one get one half off this week!

Nothing speaks more to me in the summer than white eyelet. THIS blouse is perfection! I’ve been wearing it with my new favorite jeans above and with a navy stretchy pencil skirt.

My last new item is THIS black v neck tee from Madewell. I wear a black tee at some point of every single day and have bought so many different brands over the years. I’m liking how this one is so lightweight for summer, without being sheer. It’s also extra long which is great for all the twisting and bending I do with the kids.

It’s safe to say that I know you will love these items!
I hope you’ll treat yourself and enjoy those amazing jeans and maybe a few tops too!

Having toddlers is so much fun. They get excited about all the little things that makes the anticipation of holidays so fun. For Spring, Sarah spruced up girls room by changing out the books on display, putting the Easter baskets out and adding a few spring accents. The girls always love their bedroom, but seeing their faces light up with a few Easter eggs and stuffed animals gives the room a slightly magical feel.

A few of our favorite Spring books
Make Way for Ducklings HERE
Usborne’s Peek Inside the Farm HERE
Where are Baby’s Easter Eggs HERE
Guess How Much I Love you HERE
Each Peach Pear Plum HERE

We adore Bunnies By the Bay all year long, but nothing is cuter at Easter! THESE large bunnies are so incredibly cuddly.

Here’s to a special Easter week to all of you friends, we hope you have a bright and happy week!